You asked, Ken answers ...

I am a professional with 38 years of progressive responsibility in a technical field. I placed my resume on a job website and had 37 hits and zero inquiries. There is no apparent interest in a person 59 years old. Why are companies totally resistant to hiring someone my age? Should I mask the evidence in my resume?

The reason that some companies overlook older applicants is a combination of rationalizations, stereotypes, prejudices, and general cluelessness.

Decision makers in these companies are missing at least three key points:

No firm can afford to turn away talent based on factors that are unrelated to job performance

Companies that engage in this nonsense are exposing themselves to claims of unlawful age discrimination.

You should never feel a need to mask your age in order to get a job interview. You have had an excellent career, and if you try to hide some of it, a potential employer can actually hold that against you.

With the rapid changes in work today, it is essential to keep your skills sharp. If you have been doing so, make sure this is highlighted in your resume. Your resume should also emphasize your ability to plan, organize, and lead.

In the wake of the recent dot-com shakeout, many companies are now looking for more experienced staff, so this is the time to make an extra push. Perhaps it's not so bad after all to have people around who understand things like budgets, planning, revenues, and profits.

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